Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw: India's 1st underwater metro in Kolkata to open soon

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Wednesday said the Howrah Maidan to Esplanade stretch of East-West Metro, which runs under the Hooghly river, is expected to be opened for public soon after taking all precautions.

Later, a railway spokesperson said the stretch is expected to be opened for public by December this year.

From Howrah Maidan station, the minister undertook a trolley inspection through the tunnel and reached Howrah station, which is going to be the deepest Metro station in India, built 33 metres below the surface having four underground levels over 5 lakh sq ft area, a Metro Railway spokesperson said.

He completed his inspection at Esplanade station on the other side of the river and expressed satisfaction over the pace of work of the entire stretch.

"Rs 11,900 crore has been allocated for executing different railway projects in the state including Metro Railways. Compare this with the minuscule allocation before 2014," The Metro spokesperson said.

He also said that once commissioned, the Metro corridor will connect the twin cities of Howrah and Kolkata and carry 6.7 lakh passengers daily.